The Greatest Love of All: Butterflyz
by Zarabeth McGregor
Summary: A late night conversation begs a few questions...


Butterflyz

Chapter 1

'I don't mind spending everyday 

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask her if she wants to stay a while…'_

Maroon 5 

**'She Will Be Loved'**

'You give me butterflyz 

_Got me flying so high in the sky_

_I can't control these butterflyz…'_

Alicia Keyes 

**'Butterflyz'**

The house was purely silent when she had left it. It was safe to assume she was the only one up, that everyone else was asleep. That was not a problem. She liked being alone.

Raven was just outside the Tower, where the expansive back yard dipped into a gentle slope before stretching out towards the rocky shore. There, in that slope, she laid. This was her favorite place in the entire world right now; she made a nightly habit out of it. She loved to go out around the same time each night, the waning moon presently taking its place in the center of the dark sky, and just take it all in. She loved to stare up at the same sky and marvel at the millions of stars sparkling, like diamonds sewn onto a black velvet background and gawk at the expansiveness of it, how it seemed to have no beginning and no ending. She loved to glance across to the bay, the way the serene waters mirrored everything surrounding it imperfectly, like a painting by Monet or Renoir; the sky lending it the cloak of darkness, and the numerous lights twinkling around the city reflected in it, man-made stars. She loved the way the sea seemed to go on forever, from the shore not a stone's throw away from her out to lands far, far away from her, lands she had never been to; she loved the way it seemed like the world was literally at her feet.

But most importantly, Raven loved the way she felt when she was outside late at night, all alone. She loved the way the soft grass tickled her skin teasingly, she loved the smell of it, its freshness and sweetness. Most of all, she loved to smell the air. It was pure, untouched by the chemicals of the city, instead perfumed with the scent of the sea, invigorating but at the same time heavy, lulling her to sleep as surely as a lullaby might.

She never noticed the beauty of the night, never been able to fully appreciate it, as she would never allow herself to. She was always too preoccupied to. Now that her preoccupation was no more she had more time than she ever thought possible. It boggled her mind how many things she never observed before, how many simple pleasures she had denied herself.

The world was truly at her feet.

Raven sighed deeply and closed her eyes, letting the cool sea breeze into her lungs, clearing her mind of clutter. She had a lot of time to think now, had a lot of things on her mind. There had been talk recently about no longer being Teen Titans; how they had simply outgrown their roles. Cyborg was over a year older than the rest of them, and had technically been 'too old' for the Titans for some time now. She herself had 'matured beyond her responsibilities' on her last birthday, when she had turned eighteen. In the next few months, Robin and Starfire would follow. Even Beast Boy, though much younger than the rest of them, swore he would quit being a Titan if it meant not working with them anymore.

The Justice League, therefore, had been the topic of conversation quite frequently around the house; in fact, one couldn't start a conversation without the League working its way into it. Everyone was considering joining the Justice League; after all it was the most logical thing for them to do. They could bring a wealth of experience. They were beyond excited.

She had to admit, she had given it thought too; serious thought. And the suggestion did make her tingle with anticipation. After all, it was a pretty attractive offer. Thinking about it now made her stomach quiver and it did bring a smile to her face, however small it may be. And Raven had to be honest with herself; she did enjoy working with the others, even when they did grate on her last nerve.

Raven sighed again and frowned, her eyes still closed and let the breeze waft over her. There was a slight change in the air though, a drop in the temperature and a small increase in the wind speed. There would be rain. She stretched slowly and acknowledged the new feeling in her stomach; a churn instead of a quiver. While she was being honest, she might as well admit that she was not 100 sure about continuing her crime-fighting career.

She had left her home in Azarath and her mother for one reason: the prophecy. Once she was fully able to appreciate the sheer scope of her destiny, the reason she had been born, she decided that it would not be safe to stay in Azarath. Her presence would mean destruction to everything and everyone she held dear. So, against the urging of Arella and the monks, against their assurances that she would be protected and treated fairly, Raven left and never turned back, just glimpsing mere shadows of it when she meditated. However, now that Trigon had been destroyed and the prophecy beaten, she had no reason to fear returning home. She was free to go back without apprehension and guilt. She could go back with a clear conscience.

Gods how she missed home! She missed the peace and the quiet of Azarath, the beauty and serenity unlike any other she had ever known and experienced. That was part of the reason she loved to come out at this time of night and lay beneath the stars. It reminded her of home.

And she missed her mother. She missed her more than she could ever hope to convey. She missed Arella's guidance and her gentle words. Never once had she denied Raven her love, though she knew of the purpose of her birth. In fact, it seemed to make her more determined to shower her only child with it. Her heart heaved with sorrow.

She felt one, two, three tiny droplets of water before they became too numerous to count. The rain had come suddenly, without any warning besides the change in the atmosphere. But rather than rue its presence, she welcomed it. It was not heavy, though rather steady, the droplets warm and comforting. She welcomed it, letting the pure rain water wash over her, luxuriating in the little rivulets flowing over her face, penetrating her thick woolen sweater, soaking her hair. She lifted her face slightly, directly into the rain, letting them gather on the lashes of her closed eyes and let everything out. She let her tears mingle with the rain, letting it carry them away, cleansing her soul. She let the tears of longing and uncertainty and fear fall, let her heart slowly release its heavy burden, let the gentle droplets carry her sorrows with them. Raven never thought crying could feel so soothing. Usually, it just left her spent and more depressed with a splitting headache.

She could hear the rain; she enjoyed the steady rhythm as it fell to the earth, soft and lulling. She realized, however, that she had stopped feeling it. Raven thought that it had merely drifted on over the sea, but immediately realized it was still penetrating her leggings. With a frown, she finally opened her eyes.

There, standing over her was Robin holding a black umbrella over their heads, looking down at her with an amused raise of his brow. He stared at her, weariness showing in his gaze, extending one hand out to her.

"You weren't really planning on staying out here in the rain, were you?" he asked dryly. Before she could answer, he stooped down next to her, hand still offered. "Here, let me help you up."

Raven didn't stop frowning. How did he…? Oh yeah, she remembered. All of the Titans' bedrooms had a view of the back yard; knowing him, he was working late and had probably seen her lying there. Still staring up at him, not quite over her confusion, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up.

"If you have a cold tomorrow when we're supposed to be out fighting, I'll kick your ass," he stated simply. She could hear the camaraderie in his voice, still slightly groggy, and laughed softly. "I'm serious, you know," he tried to tell her, but his own laugh discredited his supposedly stern proclamation. They started walking back to the Tower, huddled under the umbrella.

Raven tensed slightly when she felt him slipping his arm across her shoulders, bringing her involuntarily closer to him. They were touching now, her shoulder and part of her chest snuggled into his own chest, her head resting slightly on his shoulder. He didn't seem to notice her reaction, as they walked silently back. Raven felt the tenseness in her stomach which had been forgotten when the rain started return. This time though, it was a flutter, more than a tightening; like butterflies. Lately, any type of contact with Robin had prompted that type of reaction in her, a sudden awareness of herself. The slightest touch, a grazing of fingers against skin, mostly unintentional made her a thousand times more sensitive than usual. She was so close to him; close enough to feel his body through his thin white shirt, feel his hard shoulders and chest and appreciate the strength within them. Raven could feel every sinew, every taut muscle of his arm as he held her, guiding her into the Tower. She could smell him; the traces of his cologne, fresh and light, mixed with the musky-sweet smell of his own sweat. She inhaled involuntarily and sighed, feeling the same peace she had when taking in the ocean's scent.

The entire walk from the back yard to the Tower was about two minutes tops, but to her it felt infinitely longer. By the time they were in the main room, every nerve within her body was at its fullest alert. She felt his arm drop when the elevator opened and quickly made her way over into the kitchen, depositing her wet sweater on the counter. She made certain her voice would not shake before she spoke.

"Uh, I'm making tea, would you like some?" she asked, glancing back at Robin. He left the umbrella open, settling it into a corner of the room, out of the main walkway so it could dry. He looked over at her as he made his way to the sofa.

"No problem."

And that was that. She watched him a bit longer as he walked over to the radio and put it on. A second later, she could hear the slow, melodic strains of a Spanish guitar and Toni Braxton's soulful crooning. Raven turned her attention back to her task at hand. Taking a small pot out of the cupboard, she filled it with water and put it onto the lit burner.

She was shaking and she knew exactly why. That didn't mean she had to be happy about it. She was replaying every single step they took, every movement they made. Not only did her mind betray her, which she had mistakenly assumed to be the most faithful part of her, but her body did too, every inch of her skin tingling, every nerve seemingly memorizing the feel of his own body against hers. Raven gritted her teeth and growled softly. Even up to now she refused to believe Robin had such an effect on her.

Before, things had been manageable. She always had a soft spot for him, maybe even a little crush, if we wanted to go that far. But she had always kept it under control, under wraps. She could even banish such feelings to the back of her mind and forget about them for quite a while. She was always able to convince herself it was just deep respect and admiration instead of foolish teenage love. However, all that had changed a little too quickly for her liking. Having her Destiny made painful obvious was not the only thing that had happened on her last birthday.

Raven turned off the stove and took down the box of chamomile tea bags with a sigh. She had unfrozen him that night because she had not wanted to be alone with Slade. For the first time in her life, she was actually scared; the feeling she had watching that horror movie paled in comparison to the pure terror she felt that night. She unfroze Robin because, quite frankly, she trusted him more than anyone else in the group. Raven wanted his support and strength that night; she wanted that in the event of everything going south and the prophecy coming through, he'd be the one to help her. She knew for a fact that he wouldn't judge her harshly, even after she was so hard on Terra.

And he had lived up to her expectations that night, fighting his hardest to protect her. But Slade had still caught up with her and gave an oh-so-gentle reminder of her purpose. She remembered passing out shortly after, but could still feel herself falling, falling several stories, surely to her death. That was when she had been saved.

Robin had swooped in and snatched her out of the sky, cradling her to him and taking her home where the others were. Their trip back, however, was when Raven noticed the change. Being in such close proximity to him, mixed with the overwhelming gratefulness she felt did something to her. It was like tonight, except many, many times greater, the awareness of him. And the way he held her so strongly, yet so gently like she was a fine piece of china magnified all those repressed feelings. The way he had stroked her hair and assured her everything was going to be fine; that _he_ would protect her at any cost made her heart swell with so much emotion it was actually terrifying. Sure, she had occasions where her feelings threatened to get out of check, but it was usually anger and usually within the heat of battle, a plus in those circumstances. This…this was different. This emotion made her feel warm inside, as corny as that sounds. It made her feel fragile and helpless, but in a surprisingly good way.

And the way he was staring at her, when he thought she wasn't looking, or was still passed out, that look of sheer relief written all over his face, almost like he was thanking whatever powers may be that he caught her when he did, that she didn't fall to her death. That he didn't loose her. At that point, it was too much. Robin had thought she was crying out of fear or vulnerability. He was right, but not for the reasons he thought. Since then, Raven's feelings for him had never been the same. And it got even worse as time progressed, when he seemed to make it his personal mission to look after her, making sure she was still emotionally secure, when he had come looking for her after Trigon was unleashed and encouraged her to never give up hope, when she had seen no reason to have any. The way he never once blamed her for the chaos that ensued, but instead seeing her as his motivation to keep fighting, even when all seemed lost.

By now, Raven was stirring the sugar into the tea cups, which already had the hot water and tea bags in them. The scent of the chamomile calmed her tortured feelings somewhat, but she still felt unsettled. The rain was falling much heavier; it had been for some time now. Over the bay, she could see long arcs of lightening flashing in the distance, so eerily beautiful. She was so taken up with the view and her own thoughts that she didn't notice she was stirring too rapidly. She did feel the water splash onto her hand.

"Damn it!" she swore, shaking her hand and sucking the spot the water had spilt.

"Are you alright, Raven?" Robin asked from the sofa. Raven waved him off.

"I'm fine, just spilt some tea." The water was not that hot; it just surprised her is all.

"You sure?"

"Yes," she answered back, maybe sounding a bit shorter than she intended. The last thing she wanted was his concern. Raven didn't want to feel endeared to him anymore than she already was at that point. Especially when she was reminding herself why it could not work. It was common knowledge that Starfire liked Robin, and those feelings were being reciprocated. She had seen them when they thought no-one else was watching. She saw the hidden looks and secret smiles, she saw the whispers and the casual hand holding. And Robin didn't object anymore when Cyborg or Beast Boy called Starfire his girlfriend. Then again, he didn't confirm anything, but he didn't need to.

Raven put down the spoon she was stirring with and made her way out of the kitchen. The song had changed and now Amy Lee sang about the haunting quality of a lost love over the sounds of a mellow piano. She refused to see any amount of irony in it.

"Tea's ready," she announced, looking over to where Robin was. She almost stopped short. She had met his eyes dead on; he had been staring at her and still was. That feeling of awareness came over her again but this time, Raven took a keen interest in what she was wearing. Since she had taken her sweater off, the only thing she was wearing was a small, white camisole, which had been soaked by the rain. She noted almost immediately that it was still wet and clung to her body, along with her black leggings. Not once, while she was on her way over, did he take his eyes from her. His face was completely blank and without any form emotion. His eyes, however, were a different story.

Back in the first few days of living in the Tower, Raven had literally bumped into him late one night. She had been coming back from meditating in the living room, he had been in the shower. That had been the first time she saw him without the mask and she had subconsciously memorized his eyes. They were large, a clear and almost transparent light green, with a dark ring around the iris, fringed with long lashes. They had been so bright and iridescent, it had been nearly impossible to take her own eyes off them. They looked the same way now, granted a bit more tired, but they still had that captivating quality about them. She forced her eyes away from his as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"Here you go," she whispered idly, giving him his own cup and curled her feet under her. He thanked her and they drank silently. Outside, she could see the rain had slowed somewhat but was still falling considerably. Through the panoramic windows of the living room, Raven could still see the forked lightening in the sky and hear the distant roll of thunder. Sipping her tea, she marveled at how quiet the house truly was. The radio was very low, so low that during a regular day in the Tower, she knew she would not have been able to hear it over the usual noise and chatter. Tonight, however, she could hear every word of the songs, every note of music loud and clear. The quiet also made her very conscious of the fact that they were the only ones in the room, that they were the only ones awake within the entire house.

She groaned internally, upset with herself. Taking another sip of her tea, she asked herself: had things really changed that much? Raven remembered several occasions that she had stayed up with Robin, until the eastern sky had started to lighten, helping him with research and planning. After all, it seemed that they were the only Titans that could get by on very limited sleep. That never struck her as being odd before. Now, she was making a big deal of it. With a roll of her eyes, Raven cleared her throat.

"Have you talked to Batman about joining the Justice League yet?" she asked the first thing that came to her mind. She really preferred filling the silence with conversation rather than her own silly thoughts. Robin chuckled softly, his weary demeanor brightening suddenly.

"I knew I forgot to tell you something," he turned to her, a smile on his face. "Batman had actually called me earlier today, just out of the blue. He wanted to know when we would be ready to come aboard, as we seem to be ready to 'graduate to a higher level.' Apparently they have been keeping tabs on us and they're very impressed by what they've seen." Raven understood his smile, the thinly veiled triumph behind it. Long ago, during one of those aforementioned late nights, Robin had confided in her. The split with his mentor had been strained to put things mildly. Batman had wanted him to join the Justice League, but only as his sidekick. Robin objected strongly and was determined to prove that he could be much more than that, to prove he was more than capable of standing on his own. That was why he had been so determined to form the Teen Titans and why he was almost obsessive when it came to fighting crime. Batman's call had shown his point was proven. She gave him a smile of her own.

"I'm glad for you," she offered. She knew what it felt like to be freed of one's personal demons. He looked at her and nodded, showing that he understood the meaning of her words.

"Thanks. I'm glad for me too." Raven took another sip from her cup. She enjoyed the taste of it; the tea was just the way she liked it. Barely enough sugar to sweeten, but not enough to overpower the subtly of the chamomile. Robin spoke again, startling her out of her thoughts.

"You don't have to make up your mind right away about joining," she looked up at him, saw that he was staring at her intently. Had he always watched her like that, or was it just a recent occurrence? He misinterpreted the confusion that must have showed since he continued.

"I know you have your reservations about joining. I know you want to go home. If I were you, I'd want to," he elaborated softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Raven looked away from him and took another deep sip of her tea, ignoring the heat of the liquid. A few days before Trigon had arisen, when she was feeling especially low, she told him that she missed home and missed her mother. She told him that if it weren't for the fact that she was Trigon's portal, she would have never left Azarath. However, she thought she had done an excellent job hiding her true feelings about the Justice League. She acknowledged the fact that Robin was rather perceptive; he had always noticed things that bothered her long before the others did. But there had been many other things that she was able to keep hidden from everyone, including him, very successfully.

Once again, this all started after her birthday, when it seemed that he took a personal interest in her. He was able to gauge almost every change in her emotions, could tell when she was feeling especially depressed or when something was weighing very heavily on her. Maybe it was a hard habit to break, but even after Trigon's defeat, he was still able to, still found some sort of need to. Back then, it was to ensure her safety. Now, she could not think of another excuse.

"I just want to let you know that no matter what you decide, we'll support you," he said, filling in the silence between them. "But remember, there will always be a place for you on our team." She risked a glance at him, saw the solemn look on his face and realized that he meant every word of what he just said. Then again, Robin rarely said things he didn't mean.

"Thank you," she said, feeling deeply touched. Even now, she did have her moments when she felt like an outsider to the rest of the group. Just because her problems were over didn't mean her insecurities disappeared with them.

"Any time." And with that, there was another stretch of silence. The thunder had gotten closer and the rain had picked up in its intensity. Raven stared into her cup, stared at the golden tea but did not focus on it. Now that Robin mentioned it, confirmed that her feelings really did exist, she realized that she really did want to go home, to see her mother again. Seeing her while meditating was nothing compared to the real experience. Her touch always seemed so real, but she knew it could not be, that it was only a dream at best. She missed it more than anything else.

Another song had started, the simple notes from a lone guitar and the singer's soft, pleading voice. A chill went slowly through her, as always happened when she heard this song. A feeling of warmth spread through her immediately after and a blush rose to her cheeks. Its heartbreaking simplicity never failed to move her. She sang along to the song silently, knowing every word by heart. They were poetic in their beauty.

"I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now," she heard Robin speak up again. She didn't look up at him; she knew he was looking at her with that strange light in his eyes.

"Go ahead," she replied, not quite knowing what to expect.

"Why don't you grow your hair?"

It was a simple question, asked out of the simplest curiosity and nothing else; that much she could hear in his voice. But it still caught her completely off guard. Her hair?

"Excuse me?" Raven looked up at him, just to make sure she heard correctly. He seemed to find her bewilderment amusing.

"Why don't you grow your hair?" he repeated plainly. "I mean, you cut it whenever it reaches…here…," he leaned forward and touched the ends of her hair, just at the middle of her neck. He didn't touch her skin, but Raven's nerves didn't know that. Every single hair on the back of her neck, on her arms, everywhere, stood at total attention. They anticipated contact and seemed to yearn for it. His fingers were barely half an inch away from her, and she could feel them, just grazing the fine hairs. Her heart rate accelerated dangerously and her nerves strained. When he removed his fingers, she found herself wishing that he hadn't.

"Um…," she started. Her throat was dry and her voice was not as steady as she would have liked. "For practicality's sake; I don't want it flying all over when I'm fighting; it's a distraction." She swallowed hard and reached for her hair, right where his fingers had been, her skin hot and feverish. She cursed herself very eloquently within the privacy of her thoughts.

"Distraction?" he repeated with a smile. He shrugged. "Why not put it in a braid?" Raven shrugged back sarcastically.

"Then the braid gets loosed and I'm back to square one?" she deadpanned. She knew she was being petty but Raven liked the fact that she sounded calm and in control. That meant she could ignore the fact that she was all flustered inside. She went back to her tea and noted it was getting cold. She didn't mind. In fact, she didn't even notice. Instead, Raven tried to focus on the song and the words, warming slightly. Anything to take her mind off the present conversation.

"Long hair becomes you very much," came Robin's response after a while, soft and sincere. Raven froze. She really did not like the way this conversation was going.

"Becomes me?" she asked, trying her best to sound dry and challenging. Robin nodded.

"Yeah. It flatters you. It draws attention to your eyes and emphasizes your complexion." By now, she was panicked. What is he doing noticing her eyes and complexion? He continued.

"It softens your features, too." Here, Raven had found a way to divert this conversation and took full advantage of it.

"Softens my features?" she lifted a brow. "What are you trying to say; there's something wrong with the way I look?" the hostility in her voice was not necessarily anger towards him. It was more of a safety mechanism that took a while to kick in tonight. When Raven got flustered, she got upset. Usually the source of her discomfort would get intimidated by her anger and retreat. Problem solved. Instead Robin laughed softly and shook his head.

"I never meant it like that. You look absolutely lovely the way you are now, but you look even lovelier with longer hair." Raven blanched and looked away. What the hell? Of course she had expected it to work. Not because she thought she would intimidate him, but for the simple reason that it always worked when Starfire did it. Whenever Robin thought he had insulted Starfire, he would get anxious and try to explain his way out of his alleged fumble, usually tying himself up even more. Most of the time, he had to let a few hours pass before he was in the frame of mind to explain himself properly. In this case, while he was trying to sort himself she could've made her escape.

But tonight he was so calm and collected in stating his piece it was like he anticipated exactly what she would say. Damn it! She forced herself not to read too much into his words, but how could she not? It was practically impossible not to. But on the other hand, it made absolutely no sense. Surely he didn't mean…

Raven's thoughts were temporarily halted when she felt movements next to her. Robin had drained his cup and put it on the table before getting up and stretching slowly. She absolutely meant she was not going to notice the way his muscles flexed and contracted as he did so. He tousled his already messy dark hair and turned to her. Once again, she could see the exhaustion in his features.

"Night Raven. The tea was good," he said, stifling a yawn. "Don't stay up too late, though. We have a packed day tomorrow." And with that, he walked away, leaving Raven in her thoughts.

She was honestly confused. Had she just imagined everything that just happened; the tension in the room especially? Did she blow everything out of proportion, the way he kept looking at her? With a sigh, Raven downed the rest of the tea. It was cold and thick.

A week later, Raven stood before her mirror, a fluffy towel wrapped around her. After she had that shower, she had stopped convulsing. It was more psychosomatic than medical, her convulsions; Raven simply hated getting dirty. For that entire week, they had been fighting a blob of some sort. For a blob, though, the thing was pretty damned crafty. Slick too, always escaping just when they had it cornered. But things had ended today. She had the 'fortune' of trapping the blob, and caused it to explode. That was when all the thick, green, smelly, radioactive God-knows-what had been sprayed on her. The others had gotten slimed as well, but she got the worst of it. After all, she was within two feet of it. Then, Raven almost committed a felony when Beast Boy starting complaining about the smell from the other side of the city all the way to their house. Luckily, Cyborg suddenly developed a special interest in his welfare and removed him from her general vicinity.

As soon as she stepped into the house, Raven's first stop was her shower, where she thoroughly lathered every inch of her body with the antibacterial soap and every strand of her hair with the specially formulated shampoo. She then marinated for about ten minutes before she washed off. Right now, Raven felt so squeaky clean, it was almost sinful. And Floral Fresh too. Today's event definitely ranked higher in grossness than that time Silkie exploded all over them.

And so Raven stood before her mirror, scissors in hand, reaching for a strand of hair. Because she had been busy for the entire week, spending most of her days fighting crime and what little time she had left sleeping or meditating, she had been putting off cutting her hair for a while now. She brought the scissors closer to her hair, ready to start snipping.

_…Beauty queen of only eighteen_

_She had some trouble with herself…_

She stopped short and gasped. It was only then she realized her radio was on. That song; the same song that had been playing that night…when Robin had asked about her hair. Chills ran through her once again as she listened to the song and remembered that rainy night. She honestly had not given it a lot of thought; Raven had been too occupied to afford such a luxury. But now, in the solitary of her room, she remembered everything. She remembered his words especially.

'Long hair becomes you very much…it flatters you…' 

Had she imagined things that night? The way he looked at her, the sound of his voice? There had not been any mention of the night by either of them; their minds had been on other things. But that didn't mean they hadn't talked. And there had been no hint of anything she had perceived back then. Therefore, she came to the following conclusion: she had let her own feelings get away with her. She transplanted whatever she felt onto his own actions. It had just been a platonic conversation between friends and she made a very big deal out of it. They were both tired and so that was why she had seen things that weren't there. That strange light in his eyes might have well been just exhaustion. Or maybe it was the lighting of the room. And his voice's huskiness was actually grogginess; he had not been to sleep for that entire day. Whatever it was, she had imagined it. Raven was convinced. And that meant just because she was no longer dangerous didn't mean her emotions should be given free reign.

But that didn't mean she had stopped tensing at his touch, that her nerves didn't tingle whenever she came into contact with him. That didn't mean she didn't currently flush at the memory of his words.

After all, Robin rarely said things he didn't mean.

Raven looked at herself in the mirror again, looked at her wet, stringy hair. It had grown longer than she had ever allowed it to since she joined the Titans. Even Starfire had tried convincing her to grow it once, shortly after her birthday, in a conversation that had been killed very effectively by Raven. And yet, his words stayed with her. She knew exactly what Robin had been talking about when he said she looked better with longer hair. That was the reason she cut it; beauty was not her thing.

'You look absolutely lovely the way you are now, but you look even lovelier with longer hair…'

"Hmm…" she pondered. She absently noted that the song was still playing but was on its final notes. Raven took one last look at her reflection before she put the scissors down on the bureau and started dressing.

Change wasn't always a bad thing, was it?


End file.
